These wonderful and beautifully sad letters were given to us by Joeline Webber and not one word has been changed from the original letters. They are exactly as they were written.  For copyright see bottom of page.

 Joeline R. Webber
13941 Aztec St. - Sylmar, CA 91342

Note:  -- means blotted letters, blanks or inkspots that are uncertain.

The James W. Owen letters of the
8th Arkansas Infantry Bttn., History -CSA

March the 30   AD   1862

My be-l Owen
I now take the opertunity of writing you a few lines to let you k no that I am well at present hoping when these lines comes to hand they will find you an the children enjoying the same blessing   we are at Jack—port we dont no how long will stay here   we hant drewe our bounty money yet   there is a bout fifteen hundred soldiers here   I will send you some money home as soon as I git it   I want you to write to me as sone as you can   I dont no where to tel you to write two
Uncle Henry Jackson  write to me as sone as you can – nothing more at present onley remember your affectionate husband

J.W. Owen to Luanna Owen

May the 2   1862

My Luanna Owen it is with playure that I take my pen in hand to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am well at present   hoping when these lines comes to hand they will find you an the children well
I want to se them sweat children mighty bad an hug an kis them an here them say paw   I want you to hug and kis them for me    George Jackson stade with us last night   he is in tolerable helth   Alfred an Daniel Owen is both in the horse pittle   John is verry sick but in camp   I hant ben to se them yet but I will go an se them as sone as we git setlede   I hant much of import to write to you    I want you to take good chere of them childeren tel I come home   I dont no when I shal come home but I dont think longer than tel summer   Uncle Henry Jackson I want you to rite to me as sone as you can   I can say one thing to you   I have sene more sence I have ben out than I ever did before –
I have nothing more to right only remember your affectionate husband
J.W. Owen to my luanna Owen

I recond you get the money that I sent home by Capiten Alen
I hant herd from home sence I left there  tel Nelson Owen to write to me  tel Uncle –llird howdy an the rest of the neibers

(addressed on front)  Hand this to Luanna Owen

Mississippi State
Tishamingo county      May the 10

Dear companion I have set down to try to write to you a few lines ---- let you --no that I am well at present an in fine spirits hoping when these lines comes to hand they will find you an the children injoying the same blessing   we are at Corinth   I hant got time to tel you much more    We had an atact with the inemy yesturday   We run them a bout three miles   We whirped them bad   I was in the back field tho   I didn’t git to shute nary time they run so quick   I got to se some of the ded yankess lying over the field   I came in to camps today   I shal start back the recklly   I hant got the time to rite much    Frank Cokln is ded   Joseph Hushing(?) is not well  Benjamine Wade(?) is in the hoptle  Thomas Right is able to go out on picket  There is right smart of sicknes in camps   We have lost six of our men sense we left home   the (line lost to fold) with us in camps   We have ben out on picket every sense last Tuesday   we are in cournel Jones battalion   John S. Owen is sick   I hant herd from the (too faded to read) sense (too faded)  and I dont think we will have any nother fight here   I want to se you all ---y bad   tel all the (too faded) farthi— for a while

James W. Owen to
Luanna Owen

Wright if you git the chance
Tel uncle llud(?) houdy
Take of marel ---
Take of John an Willy
Hug an kis them for their paw

The two letters below are written on one sheet of paper

State of Miss  Tishimingo County
May the 17  1862

Dear wife I now seat my self down to drop you a few lines to let you no that I am well at present  hoping that when these lines come to hand they will find you an the children well   we are at Corinth we expect to leave here sone    we dont no where we will go from here   we think we will go to pine bluff ark   I would like to se you an the children   I warnt to hug you an kis John an Willey  for me tel them of their paw   I want you to hug sister and kis hur thre times for paw  I would like to hug them my self   we have had a gra deal of sicknes in camp  we have lost eight soldiers  I am glad that I can have it to say that I hant ben sick sense I left home  I will bring my leter to a close   I want you to rite to me as sone as you can  I hant hurd from home sense I left home.

James W. Owen to my luanna Owen

Henry Jackson a few lines to you  I can say to you that I am well at present  hoping when these lines comes to hand they will find you all well  I will say to you that I have ben in one batle tho I didant git to fire a gun  the inimy retreated before I got a chanse I sene the bodes lying on the ground.  I did feal like I wanted to git to fire a few rounds to but they run before our time come on as our lay(?) was not very grate  we have ben loeking for a fight here but I dont think we will have any one here  I cant right all that I no  this time our foir(?) is ball  we pay a dollar apound for tobaco  all we by is high  so I will bring my letter to a close by saying I want you to right to me as sone as you get the chanse  right how all the friends is giting a long  so nothing more at present

James W. Owen to
Henry Jackson

This letter is NOT in the same handwriting as the others and I suspect that it was written down for James by someone else at the hospital.  There are clearly obvious differences in the writing.

July the 28  1862

Dear wife I seat my self down to let you no how I am giting along  I am in tolerable helth at this time  I hope when these few lines come to hand they will find you an the children well an doing well  I want to se you worse than I ever did before  I want to se the children  Jest as bad as I can  I want you to hug them for me an kis them  my peaceful ours is past a way  the days of trouble an triels is at hand  I would like to come home but the chance is bad  I hant ben on duty in two munts   I hant ben able for duty  I have ben in the horse petle for the last three weeks  I think I will go back to the company in a few days  it ant worth while one to say any thing a bout the war for I no nothing to say a bout it so I shall bring my letter to a close  I  I want you to right to me every chance you have  there is a male pasing from greens burough here every momth

James W. Owen to luanna Owen

These letters are the property ofJoeline R. Webber
13941 Aztec St. - Sylmar, CA 91342 and may not be copied without express permission of the owner. Please contact her for any comments or to add any additional information on this family.
8th Arkansas Infantry Bttn., History CSA

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 7/5/99